A game forThanksgiving

Aunt Annie's Crafts

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot Board Game

What you will make:

Here's a race game that the whole family can make together and then
play! It's great for post-Thanksgiving dinner fun. Just print the game
board patterns,
then cut and glue. That's all it takes to make the game board for Turkey
Trot.

Make your own race game! Included in the project
are patterns and tips for making a game board for a race game of your
own invention! You can make a game for just about any theme, idea or
event. A blank game board and set of stickers makes it super easy to
make a game.

The Turkey Trot game and rules are based on the
Game of Goose—a race game with roots dating back centuries. There
are many different game boards and rules for the Game of Goose, which is
sometimes called the Game of Life. See the
rules for playing Turkey Trot
at the end of the project.

Here's what you need:

This project is rated EASY to do.

How to Make a Thanksgiving Turkey Trot Board

Read all of the steps before starting.

Step 1: Choose Printable Patterns and Print

Choose a game board to make. Download and print the pattern(s).
Print the patterns for all four sections of the game board—Upper
Left, Upper Right, Lower Left, and
Lower Right. Or, print the Small
Game Board pattern for a game board that fits on one page. You can print on
computer paper or directly on white cardstock.

Use the Design Your Own patterns to make a game
board for a Goose-like race game of your own invention. Make a game that
generally follows the rules of Turkey Trot and
features similar game spaces. Decorate the game board with drawings
or base a game board on a set of stickers (see examples in the
sidebar).

All of Aunt Annie's project patterns are designed to be printed on standard letter-size paper (8.5"x11" or A4).
When printing from Adobe Reader, you may need to select Auto-Rotate and Center or Choose paper source by PDF page size to ensure the best fit.

Step 2: Color (optional)

If you printed black & white patterns, color each game board
section with any colors you like. You might color the spaces with
alternating colors. Pick two contrasting colors, or leave half the
spaces white. Save time by leaving the blank egg spaces white.

If your are using a Design Your Own pattern,
make light pencil marks where you want each type of game space.
In Turkey Trot there are six forward-facing turkeys (go
again),
two backward-facing turkeys (go back), two dice spaces (roll
again), two STOP spaces (lose turn), one jail space (lose
two turns) and an umbrella and cloud pair (jump ahead).
Make drawings with markers on each game space or use rubberstamps.
Add writing to explain the rules or make funny comments.
Tip: It's fun to make a game board using stickers. You can
make a game for a holiday by using a set of stickers for that
holiday.

Step 3: Cut

Trim the printed patterns to the outline around the section, or within ¼" to
½" of the outline. If you leave a border, make its depth the
same on all four game board sections. Be careful to cut the
angled sides of the glue tabs precisely. This will help the game
board fit together better.

If you are using the
Small Game Board or the
Design Your Own there are no glue tabs
and you can skip to Step 5.

Step 4: Glue Sections Together

Once you have cut all four sections, glue or tape them together.
To do this, lay out the sections in their correct positions. Slide
the glue tab on each section under the adjoining section. Join
the first section with the second section. Proceed around the board
doing one seam at a time. Be careful to align the game board's track
at each seam.

Tip: If you printed on computer paper, you
can make the game board more durable by gluing it to cardboard—poster
board works well.

Step 5: Cover with Contact Paper (optional)

Protect your game board from getting dirty with clear contact
paper. Cut two pieces of clear contact paper about ½"
larger than the game board in both dimensions. Apply one piece of
contact paper to the back of the board and the other piece to the
front. Be sure to center everything and to smooth out any air
bubbles. Trim the contact paper, leaving a small border.

Contact paper is self-adhesive shelf liner usually available on rolls in hardware and discount
stores.

How to Play Turkey Trot

Here's what you need: 2 dice and 1 unique
playing piece per player. You can use game tokens from other
games, or make your own using Aunt Annie's Modeling Dough, see the sidebar
for how to make special turkey playing pieces.
In a pinch, you can use colorful cereal as game pieces.Number of players: Two or more.Object of game: To be the first player to
reach the last space, exactly. Other players continue playing for
places.Before you start: Throw the dice to determine
the order of play. The player with the highest total on the dice goes
first, then play proceeds around the board to the left.

Rules

Players race around the board from start to finish. A piece is
moved based on the throw of two dice.

If a piece lands on a forward-facing turkey, the piece is moved
forward the same count again. If a piece lands on a backward-facing
turkey, the piece returns to the space it came from.

If a piece lands on the umbrella, it floats up to the space
marked with the cloud.

If a piece lands on a space marked with dice, the player gets to
throw the dice and move again on the same turn.

If a piece lands on a stop sign, the player loses his or her next turn.

If a piece lands on the jail, the player loses his or her next two
turns. That player gets an early release if another player lands on
the jail, taking their place.

A player's piece must land exactly on the last space to win. If the throw
is too high, the piece is moved forward to the last space and then
backward with the rest of the count on the dice.

Before you start:

Think about the project. Imagine how it will look and what you will do with it.

Are you ready?
Okay, get started!!!

EnlargeTip: The small Turkey Trot game board prints to a
single sheet of paper or cardstock. It is best for games played by just
two players.

EnlargeTip: Make a more durable game board by gluing the pattern to
poster board.

EnlargeTip: Get creative! Print one of the Design Your
Own game board patterns and create your own Goose-like race
game similar to Turkey Trot. Use Halloween stickers to make a game
called Spooky Trot or use stickers for your favorite cartoon character to make a game featuring the character. How about making a game called Hello Kitty Christmas Trot with the red and green Design Your
Own game board pattern?